Neon light



p 7, 1948- 5. 1. WALTER 2,448,937

NEON LIGHT Filed July 3, 1945 IN VEN TOR: 6:01:78 1;. Walk;

BY I

Patented Sept. 7, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NEON LIGHT George L.Walter, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application July 3, 1945, Serial No. 802,980

2 Claims. (Cl. 176-126) The present invention relates to neon lights andspecifically to means for securing neon light tubes to electricaloutlets in such a manner as to permit ready attachment and detachment ofthe tube to form various sign elements.

At the present time it is the customary practice to provide neon signswherein the tubes are shaped to order. Such a requirement is costly,requires skilled workmen, both in the fabrication of the tubes and theerection thereof for the sign, results in a sign that is not readilychanged to meet varying conditions, and is expensive if the tubes of thesign become broken.

An object of the present invention is to provide neon light tubes madein such lengths and shapes as to'permit the individual to form his ownsign. By so constructing the sign that the letters or numerals areindependent, it is possible in case of breakage to remove the brokentube and insert a new one without disturbing the other tubes.Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to so relate the tubes asto permit ready arranging thereof, so that a sign of any charactag maybe built by the individual owner of the u es.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a neon light tubeso constructed and arranged as to permit the tube to be plugged into asocket, and when so plugged into the socket to be balanced in such amanner than any angularity may be assumed by the tube relative to thesocket.

Other objects include a neon light tube which is simple of structure,easily fabricated and superior to tubes now known to the inventor.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the inventionconsists in the certain relationship of elements and means, ashereinafter shown in the drawing, described generally, and finallypointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, of a tube embodying theinvention and shown detached from a socket member;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow ofP18. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 83 of Fig. 1; and I Fi4 is an elevation of a sign which-may incorporate the invention.

Referring now to the drawingr I is a neon tube which is adapted tocontain a gas to be incandesced in the usual manner.

its ends 2 and 3. It is usual however to provide manufacture.

2 external contacts for the ends, which in turn engage snap sockets,whereby electrical current may be directed to the electrodes within thetube and adjacent to the. ends. In the present instance, and assuming anelongated straight tube of the character shown in Fig. 1, I provideelectrodes 4 and I within the tube, which electrodes may be of any formdesired, and in the present instance are shown in spherical form. Theseelectrodes are supported by electrical conductors 6 and I, whichconductors are passed transversely through the tube I adjacent the ends2 and 3 thereof, and then are positioned adjacent to the externalsurface or periphery of the tube and parallel to the axis thereof, asindicated at I and 8. Substantially at the center of gravity of the tubeis positioned a plug ID, the conductors I and 9 being connected to theprongs II and I2 of said plug. Preferably the plug I0 is of conventionaltype so as to fit within a conventional socket I3. The conductors 8 and9 when so positioned adjacent to the periphery oi-the tube are coveredwith a silica compound, such as glass, which is then fused to the neontube in the usual manner. This silica compound or glass is shown at Itand I5, and covers a portion of the ends 2 and I, as illustratedgenerally at I6. As stated, this silica compound becomes bonded to thetube structure. I may, in one embodiment of the invention, encase theconductors 8 and 9 within a. glass sheathing of any character or form,after which the sheathing is bonded to the periphery of the neon tube Iin any approved manner, such as by the use of fusing methods employed inglass The neon tube is of necessity hermetically sealed after theintroduction of a gas therein, and the construction of the present tubeand the arrangement of the conductors does not permit any escape of gasaround the conductors outwardly of the tube.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated by way of example a signboard I! whichcarries the sockets I3 at various and sundry locations thereof. Eachletter will be provided with a plug, the prongs of which are adapted tobe inserted within one of the sockets. In the present instance certainof the sockets have been selected and the letters USN are positioned inalignment. In a similar manner otherletters might be selected and theirplugs placed in different sockets to form words. It is within the intentof the invention that certain of the tubes of a set shall be curved andothers straight. Thus by providing two U-shaped short length tubes, itis possible to plug the same within two sockets and form the letter 8;or one U- 3 shaped portion and two short length straight tubes willprovide the letter U. The letter N might be formed from one long lengthand two short length tubes. By providing the plugs at the center ofgravity of a particular letter a letter may be neld either horizontallyor vertically or inclined sideways.

The invention provides an inexpensive method of forming neon tubes andone which will perform in a superior manner.

By means of my invention, neon lights may be standardized to make neonsigns; that is to say, machines may be used for making the letters ofthe alphabet and numerals of a suitable size, so that when a neon letteror numeral of a sign is broken, a duplicate thereof may be obtained fromthe factory or a dealer, directly or by mail order, and the brokenletter or numeral replaced by the duplicate thereof. Furthermore,neighborhood merchants may carry my neon letters and numerals in stockand sell them to customers to replace broken letters or numerals.

I claim:

1. A neon light comprising a tube closed at its ends, electrodes withinsaid tube adjacent the ends thereof, electric conductors lying along theouter side of the wall of said tube and extending at their outer endsthrough the outer ends of said tube to said electrodes, respectively, aplug intermediate the ends of said tube including a pair of prongcontacts, to which contacts the inner ends of said conductors areconnected, respectively, said tube being formed of glass, and the glassbeing cast over said conductors for sealing the same in the glass toprevent escape of gas from the ends of said tube past said electrodes.

2. A neon light as characterized by claim 1 in which the glass is castto form the plug.

GEORGE L. WALTER.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,803,439 Rosenstein May 5, 19311,961,735 Braun June 5, 1934 2,059,451 Green Nov. 3, 1936 2,227,739Pollard Jan. 7, 1941 2,255,431 Marden Sept. 9, 1941 2,273,960 HopkinFeb. 24, 1942 2,274,682 Ford Mar. 3, 1942 2,288,250 Morley June 30, 19422,339,166 Harrison Jan. 11, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date120,626 Austria Jan. 10, 1931

